Understood, although there is no logic to accomodate ABCIP in logix. It reads the tags natively.
Yes, you're right, this is mostly to accommodate for the Modbus.
Usually, I have 3 "screen levels" / control authority: Local HMI for its own unit, Station HMI/SCADA that supervises the station, and Remote SCADA which supervises many stations.
Typically, we use a mix of Modbus / DNP3 with Schneider PLC's, so we get the Station / Remote comm through a gateway, typically a RTAC or an Eaton SMP 42X0.
We have blocks (SE AOI) that we use to be bumpless between the 3 control authorities (LOC / STN / REM) for commands and setpoints (so the setpoint doesn't shift when let say we give the control back to the remote control center or we flip the pistol grip to local), so that block is expecting the same thing from each screen since it's all Modbus.
I can do the same using ABCIP, and it would be easy to replicate that if I was waiting for commands only using that protocol, which is not the case since the remote control center uses Modbus. And not only Modbus, Modbus through a ProSoft Module, which is not acting as "Schneider Modbus" where everything is read/write.
So, basically, since it's acting quite different and that I need to modify the logic I'd have used with ABCIP anyway, and because everything else on that stupid setup is Modbus, we've gone full Modbus since I'll need to deal with that for the control center anyway. And it's better that I learn all of it before the comm cutover than on-site. And they are replacing the Fanuc that does the bridge between the Station and the Remote center with a RTAC at the same time, so that will be a lot a fun.